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Prime Minister Starmer visited north Wales on Thursday to announce the building of a new nuclear power station. This represents a major policy announcement with both local and national implications. However, the prime minister did not devote much time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he used the time attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, telling reporters that Downing Street had not briefed against the health secretary's goals in recent days.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day acted as a small-scale example of what his premiership has now become overall. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. Conversely, he is unable to achieve this because of the manner he – and, partly, the country as a whole – now practices politics and government.

The Prime Minister is unable to change the culture of politics on his own, but he is able to do something about his personal involvement in it. The plain fact is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively than he currently does. If he did this, he could discover that the nation was in less dismay about his administration than it is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Personnel Problems in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Number 10 are about individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern accurately from the exterior. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make good personnel choices, or maintain them. Perhaps he is too busy. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. However, he must to improve his performance, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about giving the crucial role of top civil servant to a senior official.
• He appointed a former official his top aide, then substituted her with a political strategist.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his chief secretary.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Advisors on politics and policy have come and gone.
• The situation is chaotic.

Systemic Issues at the Heart of Government

All premiers spend too much time abroad and on international matters, areas where Sir Keir ought to assign more tasks, and insufficient time talking to parliamentarians and hearing the public. Prime ministers also allocate too much time doing media, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who are often party activists or ambitious in politics, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, however, are systemic. It would be good to think that Sir Keir read the a think tank's spring 2024 study on reforming the government's central operations. His failure to grip these issues in the summer or afterward suggests he did not. The frequently dismal performance of Labour’s time in office suggests IfG proposals like reorganizing the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and separating the positions of cabinet secretary and civil service head, are now urgent.

The political pre-eminence of PMs greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. As a result, everything currently suffers, and much is done badly or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He stands as the casualty of past failures along with the architect of current mistakes. Yet individuals who expected Sir Keir might get a grip on the centre and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the primary casualty from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.